Pepper Ryan grew up the troublesome, spoiled child of a rock god. With her less-than-stellar parentage, and the bipolar disorder that has plagued her existence, to say this little firecracker is a handful would be the understatement of the century. Sammy Belle spent more than half his life saving Pepper. He’d been her strength, her sanity, and the protective brotherly figure she never wanted to have.They were never meant to be together.They gave in anyway. And just when Sammy thought he had everything he wanted, Pepper ran. Now twenty-three, Pepper returns to Sugartown, a failed tattoo artist with one too many screws loose who’s down on her luck, wielding an ice cream van as beaten up as her heart. Sugartown’s most coveted bachelor has always been content with the quiet life he leads until Pepper, the hellion from his past, returns to test his strength, his patience, and perhaps even his sanity. But two can play at that game, and Pepper is about to learn that Sam can give as good as he gets. Can this good country boy survive Pepper’s cruel city world, or will the whole thing be put down to a bout of temporary insanity? One thing is for certain:He’s crazy about her.She’s just crazy.Warning: Intended for an 18+ audience. Contains sexual content, oodles of profanity, a firefighter so hot you may need a very cold shower, and one pink-haired crazy Harajuku girl.

“I didn’t ask you to protect my virtue, Sam,” I snap back, and then I find myself forced up against the wall, in much the same way Luke was, only Sam’s fingers are digging into the tops of my arms and his face is just inches from mine. Close enough to feel his warm breath on my face. Close enough to kiss, if only I could find the courage to lean in. “You should be begging me to protect your virtue, Little,” Sam whispers. His words make my head spin. His scent makes me want to push him back on my bed and rub myself all over him like a cat in heat. My entire body breaks out in goose bumps. Sam lets me go, but he pens me in against the wall with an arm either side of my head. He runs the tip of his nose along the side of my neck. I close my eyes, wanting, wishing with every cell in my body that he would just press his lips to my skin. That he would take me in his arms and lay me out on the bed that Luke and I had just mussed with our heavy petting. That he would possess my body the way that he possesses my every thought. His breath washes over the sensitive flesh below my ear. I hold mine until it hurts. And then Sam’s lips press a warm, wet kiss against my neck. His tongue darts out to taste my skin and the ache between my legs turns to agony. With a grunt, Sam wedges his leg between my thighs. I let out a startled cry. His lips trail my neck, my jaw, and then finally he takes my mouth with his in a searing, hot kiss. I must be losing my ever-loving mind. I’m delusional. I’ve gone completely insane. This isn’t at all like kissing Luke. I don’t feel numb. I feel alive. I feel as though our bodies were spiralling in opposite directions, and now? Now, they’re moving as one, they’re connected, they’re … right. I rock my pelvis against him. His knee thrusts into the hollow between my legs, pulling an involuntary moan from my mouth, and then Sam pulls away. He skitters back, as if I’m the one who attacked him, and he rakes his hands through his hair. “Fuck!” Once again I’m stunned into silence as I watch his livid expression and powerful body fill up my room with his fury. “That can never happen again.” “Sam—” “Don’t.”

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY Best Selling Author, doctor, pilot and CIA agent.She's also a compulsive, flagrant prevaricator who gets to make things up for a living.

While Sugartown may not technically exist, Carmen grew up in a small Australian town just like it, and just like her characters, she always longed for something more. They didn't have an Elijah Cade, though.